everything i got
Customers used to flock to Vera's Cafe for her famous baked turkey wings and fried chicken. Last year she might do $450 worth of business on an average day, but now she averages around $75. With that kind of business, "I'm holdin' on by a string with everything I got. I'm nowhere near breaking even," she says. "Every day--every single day--dips into my own pocket. It's like I have to knock Peter out, take his money to pay Paul. Then knock Paul out to pay Peter."